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Keeping it clean

Our Under-18s are keeping it clean at the top of the FA Premier Academy League.

Our Under-18s are keeping it clean at the top of the FA Premier Academy League.

Saturday's 1-0 win against Reading stretched their unbeaten start to the campaign to seven matches and made it five clean sheets on the trot as they sit proudly top of Group B.

In fact, the lads haven't conceded for fully 537 minutes as the last goal against was after just three minutes against Forest back on August 30.

"We try to defend together as a team and attack together as a team," explained coach Alex Inglethorpe. "That means the defenders are responsible for starting our attacks and the forwards are the first line of defence when we haven't got the ball.

"We've had a setted back four throughout with Adam Smith, Nathan Byrne, Calum Butcher and Steven Caulker (pictured right) with Oscar Jansson and Jamie Butler the goalkeepers. Takura Mtandari came in for Alex on Saturday but we've had that continuity.

"We didn't create the same amount of chances against Reading as we have done in matches of late so it's vital to have that security at the back. We know then that one or two goals will be enough to win matches."

Ryan Mason curled home the only goal of the game against Reading from a free-kick on 50 minutes.

"We controlled the game early on and we should really have made more of our opportunities," added Alex.

"Credit to Reading, they made it difficult for us and posed a few problems from set-pieces but we held firm.

"I was delighted with Ryan's free-kick because that's something both he and Yaser Kasim have worked on in training."